Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

¶ … Afraid of Virginia Woolf' by Edward Albee This is a paper on the play 'Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf' by Edward Albee. A three-part theater play, 'Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf' by Edward Albee presents a typical insight on the disturbed and somewhat revengeful life of a married couple, George and Martha.

The era when the play was first performed is that of the late 1950s, a period dominated by a loving American President (D.Eisenhower), and good family values were considered as well as emphasized at all levels including American politics and culture. Thus, having a car, owning a house, and having kids were all deemed to present symbols of a perfectly happy family.

In spite of all these aspects, there were events in the lives of people, which more often not than remained hidden, and the subject play strives to highlight those hidden feelings, and characteristics of people who continued to live their lives often pretending, or creating a world of their own in their attempts to hide their true feelings of hatred, revenge and lack of being successful in their real lives.

The couple of George and Martha do exactly this and from the beginning of the play right to the end, their entire conversations and acts exemplify their hatred for each other. It is also observed that neither George nor Martha make any attempt to stop their negative and sometimes insulting behavior against each other, as evidently witnessed by their colleagues Nick and Honey, another married couple who have just begun their married life as well as their career.

The play culminates as the couples, Martha and George, and Nick and Honey are observed to involve themselves amidst a heavy alcohol-drinking spree, and using drinking as a camouflage for their real intentions, psychologically blackmail each other, with verbal abuses. The audience of the play is thus bemused as all the four adults of the play successfully demonstrate how people in real lives can turn a happy marriage into a hell by failing to admit, accept or even acknowledge their weaknesses.

(Liu, 2001) As to the relationship and categorization of the play 'Who's Afraid of the Virginia Woolf?' with absurdity in the eyes of Martin Esslin, we would have to clarify the concept of absurdity before we decide the play's fate. The concept, or the notion of absurdity emerges from the feelings of deep illusionment that in turn shows the loosening the hold on the very meaning of life and its purpose.

This was more evident in the countries of France and Britain, and the period was immediately after the end of the World War II. Neither the United States of America as a free country, not its population ever indulged in such meaningless attitudes, as from the very beginning the Americans have been known to exemplify and progress towards the typical dream of a good life, that continues to this day.

It is the numerous works of literary writing and plays such as 'Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf' that have maintained and continued to shake majority of the American public and sought to present a true picture of our society with all the realities, however cruel, horrified or mean they may be. The subject play, who's Afraid of the Virginia Wolf' thus cannot be termed as absurd, nor the language used criticized as being of absurd quality.

Esslin in his 'Theater of the Absurd' gives examples of works that include 'The Zoo' by Albee, 'The American Dream' and others as well as the subject play, 'Who's Afraid of the Virginia Wolf', all of which profoundly present and equally critique if society deviates from pursuing the age-old concept of a good American life.

For those in search of the true picture of life and its realities, the subject play is an excellent presentation of a married couples' endeavors to sustain each other in spite of remaining childless, that somewhat blatantly remains the center of all their disputes. Hence, it is not mere presentation of real life stories, instead presenting them in an ironic fashion that truly captivates the audience in acclaiming the play as an original contemporary work.

As has been observed in the play, 'Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf' that the couple of George and Martha depict two worlds at the same time. A world that includes their verbal insults, excessive drinking, and psychological games with each other and with the other couple of Nick and Honey. While the second world is that of their imaginary child, who both continuously bring it up amidst nearly.